Clamp for carrying plate-glass.



Inwwafar d4 Jbfin Harder" PATENTED DEC: 26, 1905. J. HUNTER.

CLAMP FOR CARRYING PLATE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 26, 1905.

Application filed November 9,1904. S rial N 231,982

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Clamp for CarryingPlate-Glass, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to provide a clamping-tongs adaptedfor lifting and transporting plate-glass in'a safe and expeditiousmanner.

Another object of the invention is to provide for lifting and carryingthe glass in such manner that the tendency of breakage thereof will bereduced to a minimum, the strain on the glass being applied anddistributed in such manner as to substantially preclude breakage and yetto hold the glass tightly and absolutely secure, the grip increasing inproportion to the weight or downward pull on the glass.

.The invention includes clamping-jaws and their operatingarms, a togglehaving its members pivotally connected to said arms, a

toggle connected to the aforesaid toggle independently of the arms toform a double toggle, the first-mentioned toggle being connected to thearms independently of the second toggle, suspending means connected tothe secondnamed toggle, and means for drawing said toggles together toseparate the jaws.

operating lever-and-link device may be pivotally connected to oppositejoints of the double toggle for drawing the toggles together; but I donot limit the construction to specific means and may vary the samewithout departing from the principle of the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the tongs or carriers in closedposition, showing a thin plate of glass therein. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the tongs partially open to receive and engage a thickplate of glass. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the complete carrier orcarriage and a supporting track or way. Fig. 4 is a detail verticalsection of said track or way and the trolleys running thereon. Fig.

5 is a detail side elevation of one of the grippers on the tongs,showing the glass in position therein. Fig. 6 is a detail end elevationof said grippers in open position.

1 designates a suitable transporting me anssuch as a track, rail, orwayon which travel trolleys 2, connected together by a bar or bars 3 toform a carriage for supporting and transporting the plate-glass. Fromsaid carriage are suspended the tongs 4, which engage and grip theglass, said tongs being connected to the carriage by suitable means,such as block-and-tackle devices 5, enabling either or both of saidtongs to be raised or lowered in lifting and transporting the glass.Each of said tongs is provided with operating means to open and closeits jaws, the said means consisting or double-toggle members consistingof fourbars 6, forming a uadrangularfigure and connected at the ang esof the quadrangle by pivots 7, the suspending eye or hook 8, to which isattached the lower hook 9 of the block or tackle, being connected to thetop pivot 7 of the double-toggle device and the two arms 10 of the tongsbeing pivoted to the lower members of the double toggle at pointsintermediate the lowermost pivots 7 and the pivots 7 at each side. Thedouble toggle thus comprises upper and lower toggle members, and meansare provided for operating the toggle to open the jaws, said meansoperating to draw the upper and lower toggles together and consistmg,for example, of a lever 11, which is pivoted on the uppermost pivot 7 orgenerally on the support 8 and is connected by a link or bar 12 with thelowermost pivot 7, so that by operating said lever the quadrangularframe can be flattened or shortened in a vertical direction andhorizontally elongated to separate the arms 10 of the tongs, and therebyopen the clamp-jaws 13 thereof. When said lever is released, the weightof the tongs will act to close the jaws thereof. Said clamp-jaws arepivoted at 15 to the lower arms 14 of the tongs, the pivotal pointsbeing referably below the center of'the jaws, so that when the tongs areopen the tops of the 'aws will swing intoward one another and the lowerportions will swing out to wide-open positiontoenablethemtopassreadilyoverand into engagement with the glass plate.Stops 16 on the tong-arms 14 limit this outwardswinging movement of thejaws or clampingplates. Said jaws or clamping-plates are desirablyprovided with facings 17, of soft rubber or other material, to form aclose frictional engagement with the glass, and said facing may besupported by a wooden body 18, which in turn is supported by a backing19, of metal, to which the pivots 15 of the jaws are connected.

20 designates the rope operating the tongs IIO to open and close thesame, said rope being attached to the outer end of arm or lever 11.

The flexible operating means 21 for the block and tackle 5 may be whollyof rope, or the portion 22, which hangs down for manipulation by theworkmen, may be of rope in order to prevent injury to the glass, and theportion that runs on the blocks may be of chain or cable.

It will be understood that the abovede scribed tongs can be used inconnection with any suitable transporting agency such as a crane,derrick, &c.-and in any case it will be desirable to provide a pluralityof such tongs made in such manner as to provide support for theplate-glass at different points along its length, and therebyeffectually and steadily support the same. In case a track is used fortransportation it may be of the form shown, consisting of an I-beam,with the wheels 23 of the trolleys 2 running on the lower flanges 24 ofsaid I-beam.

The operation is as follows: The carriage 3, with the tongs suspendedtherefrom, having been brought into position over the glass plate, thetongs are lowered to engage the plate, the workmen grasping the rope 20and pulling down the lever 11 to open the tongs and then slipping theaws upon the glass and grip the latter firmly. Both of the tongs havingbeen thus applied, the blocks and tackles are operated to raise thetongs, thereby bringing the weight of the glass thereon, whereupon saidweight will operate to further pull upon the tongs in such manner as tomore strongly close the jaws thereof together and more firmly grip theglass, the strength of the gripping action being in proportion to theweight of the glass suspended. Inas much as this pressure is applied tothe jaws 13 through the pivots, said jaws are left free to conformabsolutely to the surfaces of the glass, the pressure thereby beingbrought perpendicularly on the surfaces of the glass without anytwisting or bending strain. This adaptability of the frictionalclampingsurfaces is also of advantage in enabling the jaws to adaptthemselves equally to thin glass, as shown in Fig. 1, or to thick glass,as in Fig. 2. WVhen the glass plate has been transported and lowered todesired position, the release cords or ropes 20 are pulled to cause thejaws to open and release the plate.

The fact that the two arms 10 are pivoted to lower toggle 6 intermediatethe pivots of the latter gives a leverage to the latter that facilitatesthis operation.

" What I claim is- 1. A clamp for the purpose described, comprisingclamping-jaws and their operating-arms, a toggle having its memberspivotally connected to said arms, a toggle connected to the aforesaidtoggle'independently of the arms to form a double toggle, thefirstmentioned toggle being connected to the arms independently of thesecond toggle, a suspending means connected to the secondnamed toggle,and means for drawing the said toggles together to separate the aws.

2. A clamp for the purpose described comprising clamping-jaws and theiroperatingarms, a lower toggle pivotally connected to said arms, an uppertoggle pivotally connected to said lower toggle, independently of thearms, the lower toggle being connected to the arms independently of theupper toggle, a suspending means connected to the upper toggle, andmeans for drawing the lower and upper toggles together to separate thejaws.

3. A clamp for the purpose described comprising two pivotally connectedtoggles, clamping aws, operating means for said jaws pivotally connectedto one of the toggles intermediate the toggle-pivots, and suspendingmeans connected to the other toggle, and means for drawing said togglestogether.

1. A tongs comprising clamping-jaws and operating-arms, a double toggleconnected to said arms, and an operating lever-and-link device pivotallyconnected to opposite oints of the double toggle.

5. A clamp for the purpose described comprising two pivotally-connectedtoggles, tongs having operating-arms pivotally connected to one of saidtoggles intermediate the togglepivots, clamp-jaws pivotally mounted onsaid tong-arms, and suspending means pivotally connected to the othertoggle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Los Angeles,California, this 2d day of November, 1904.

JOHN HUNTER.

In presence of- FREDERICK S. LYON, FRANK M. MERRILL.

